Pacific North West Advice

[01kiwijohn]

Put that stern tie line on a reel or roller of some type so you can deploy it easily. Also, bring some older line that you can use as a sacrificial loop, to reduce chafe on your stern tie line, if needed.
We anchor out about 100+ nights per year, in the B.C. coastal area, and have a 36 ft boat, with 150 feet of 5/16 chain, 250 feet of nylon rode and a 45lb Bruce (Actually, a Bluce). Most places you'll be able to anchor in 35 feet or less. We also have a stern anchor and rode, which we use a couple of times per year.
We use Waggoners too. There are other guides so I'll leave that up to you. The best advice we've got is from the Canadian Public Docks, where the fishing fleets hang out.
Provisioning is best at Sidney, Ganges, Nanaimo, Pender Harbour, Campbell River (although the tidal currents here are a challenge), Heriot Bay, Port McNeill and Port Hardy.
Victoria is a cute place, but not that convenient for provisioning. If you want to visit, stay in Sidney and take the bus into Victoria for the day. ($2 ea way).
Study up on Area WG, just out of Nanaimo. If operational, it will affect your crossing of Georgia Strait.
Plan on Princess Louisa inlet. One of the great stops on the coast. Malibu Rapids and the anchorage area require a little study beforehand.
Does your boat have a Heater? We've had to use ours in May, June, September, October.
We've explored the WA, BC coast for 15 years so if there's anything specific we can help with, please let me know.
Have a great trip.

[Paul L]

01kiwijohn,
Good advice. One thing I'd say different is when visiting Victoria for the first time. Go into the harbour and get a slip in the transient area in front of the Empress Hotel. Its just a cool experience. Sure its touristy, etc but for first time visit its fun.

[01kiwijohn]

You're right, Paul, it is cool, especially for Canada Day.
From Port Townsend, it can be a tough beat, at the time they are planning. I find I can lay Haro Strait easier. If they wend their way through the San Juans, it's still a beat to get into Vic. From there, Sidney is much easier.
Either way, it's fun.

[Paul L]

Originally Posted by 01kiwijohn

You're right, Paul, it is cool, especially for Canada Day.
From Port Townsend, it can be a tough beat, at the time they are planning. I find I can lay Haro Strait easier. If they wend their way through the San Juans, it's still a beat to get into Vic. From there, Sidney is much easier.
Either way, it's fun.

Well its a tough beat on the days it blows. It is just as likely to be dead calm and you need to time the tidal current. Either way the OP will enjoy.

[rsn48]

Just a little blurb about coastal BC. The distance by miles (not nautical miles) from the south border to the Alaskan Pan Handle is 500 miles as the crow flies, but if you were to go into every sound, inlet, fords, and around islands (there are 40,000 of them), you would cover 15,000 miles. There is no other area in the world like it, why it attracts so many, and they keep coming back.

Julia Andrews (Sound of Music) often would have her yacht brought over, through the Panama Canal, to Campbell River where she would fly in to join it. Then the yacht would hit the popular and less known areas.

A ditto the recommendations about learning about how and when to transit areas with strong currents, I've provided a few videos to put the fear of god into you...lol:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-ScxR8aV4Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vedny2D_UVo

[rbk]

If you’re gonna scare people use skookumchuck

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QEfUblSDzww

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=oVBdBdFSPlw

[rsn48]

Don't hold me to this, but I think you have ten minutes to make it through Skookumchuck Narrows and only 4 minutes at hole in the wall, but my memory is fuzzy on this.

Thought I would edit this bit of information in, something I must confess I never knew. Most often slack water is between ebb and flows of tides, but not in all areas. For example, in some area I recently read about, slack water is an hour and a half after the ebb or flood, don't remember which, but the important gem is not to assume in rough areas, make sure you know when to "stage" for transit through it. For example, in the 4 minute scenario, it is enough time to get through, even if your boat only goes 5 knots, as the transition zone is not very long, but needless to say, you have to begin the transit at the proper time.

[Kelkara]

Originally Posted by rbk

If you’re gonna scare people use skookumchuck

or Nakwakto

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rsVwqflBJTY

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by rsn48

Don't hold me to this, but I think you have ten minutes to make it through Skookumchuck Narrows and only 4 minutes at hole in the wall, but my memory is fuzzy on this.

Thought I would edit this bit of information in, something I must confess I never knew. Most often slack water is between ebb and flows of tides, but not in all areas. For example, in some area I recently read about, slack water is an hour and a half after the ebb or flood, don't remember which, but the important gem is not to assume in rough areas, make sure you know when to "stage" for transit through it. For example, in the 4 minute scenario, it is enough time to get through, even if your boat only goes 5 knots, as the transition zone is not very long, but needless to say, you have to begin the transit at the proper time.

Tidal rapids have a lot of variations. In a lot of cases you can go though with a wide range on either side, especially if you are riding the current. Also depends on how much power you have to spare. Last time we did Hole in the Wall we waited around for 20 minutes just to be sure...meanwhile 4 or 5 power boats and aluminum fishing boats went zipping thorough.

The best bet is always to follow the herd if you are unsure and transiting in high season.

[rsn48]

Here's a sampling of what you can see. There is an alternate route through to the Broughtons rather than Discovery and Johnstone Inlet, I would take this route. All of the information you need is in the books mentioned in above posts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9MFX-smf6o

[desodave]

People are trying to scare the s..t out of you. Don't let it get to you - just be aware that transiting various narrows has to be done around the slack in a sailboat and you will need to time it.

In the northern end of Georgia Strait (eg at Campbell River) the tide floods south and ebbs north - opposite to what it does in the Strait south of there. The flood tides meet in the Discovery Islands. Currents in the area can be a bit erratic depending on the strength of the tides and the winds.

If you transit on neap tides or when there are small differences between high and low, the water exchange is a lot smaller and the currents much less. Go through on a change to ebb and you're being pulled out of the pass. I use this site for planning purposes from home (or the Navionics app on my phone);
Current table for Seymour Narrows, British Columbia


There are 3 routes - use Seymour Narrows, Surge Narrows or the Gillards - the last is a bit more complicated going north because there are actually 3 different spots that need some timing and the worst is the last going north. Look at the cruising guides.

Hole in the Wall is spectacular at full run but easy if you time it, and it's an alternative to Surge on the middle route. And especially on a small water exchange, it is easy to catch both Hole in the Wall and the Upper Oksillos at one time. But then you'd miss the Octopus Islands, a great anchorage less than 1/2 mile from both Hole and Oksillo and about 5 miles NW of Surge.

I use Discovery Passage (leading to Seymour) all the time to get to our marina in Campbell River. It can be a pain because the currents at Cape Mudge (its southern end) run about 60% of Seymour, ie, up to about 8+ knots. There's a back eddy along the shoal south of Cape Mudge on the flood (don't even think of using it in a SE of any strength) and another along the Quadra Island shore across from Campbell River - I've gone 8knots in the latter against Discovery Passge running 3+ in the opposite direction. Seymour does have traffic, including 4000 passenger Alaska cruise ships, but is otherwise very easy at lower water exchanges if you time it correctly.

And there's lots of whales to see in our area - humpbacks have returned in force and orcas are regulars. Desolation Sound is magnificent and doesn't get a lot of traffic until July and August. If you're there in May, JUne or September , there will be no crowds.

Again, don't let them scare you about the passes, just be cautious and prudent

[Macblaze]

Originally Posted by desodave

And especially on a small water exchange, it is easy to catch both Hole in the Wall and the Upper Oksillos at one time. But then you'd miss the Octopus Islands, a great anchorage less than 1/2 mile from both Hole and Oksillo and about 5 miles NW of Surge.

I've always wondered about. We always take Surge and stay at Octopus overnight. They we head north through Upper Okisolo or east through Hole in the wall. And who doesn't want to spend time in Octopus.

But if you are heading north I guess there is no benefit to doing Hole in the wall/Okisollo rather than just going through Dent is there...but its good to know.

[rbk]

Originally Posted by Kelkara

or Nakwakto

I think skookumchuck is more impressive with a breaking wave but Nakwakto is faster and far more undertow. South Inian Pass is even more so with 6-8ft standing whitewater along Inian island on a calm day. If an opposing swell (sw-w) meets an ebb at the mouth those numbers double and a breaking wave can develop along the entire mouth, same goes for most narrow inlets meeting open ocean.

[coastalexplorer]

rsn48 I second your choice of Tony Fleming videos, UN-doubtabley the highest quality Professional productions on the subject of maritime and other forms of adventure exploration on the internet. the narration is always calm, concise, with a touch of class.

[desodave]

Originally Posted by Macblaze

I've always wondered about. We always take Surge and stay at Octopus overnight. They we head north through Upper Okisolo or east through Hole in the wall. And who doesn't want to spend time in Octopus.

But if you are heading north I guess there is no benefit to doing Hole in the wall/Okisollo rather than just going through Dent is there...but its good to know.

Its about 4+nm to get through the Dents/Gillard/Yucultas and the Dents change first, then Gillards and finally Yucultas heading north. That's good heading south, less so going north, especially on bigger tides. Hole and the Upper Oksillos are less than 1nm apart. We often use Hole to access Octopus rather than Surge - its a straight plume and less turbulence in the channel than leading up to Surge. We cruise the area and Hole is also an easy access from an anchorage like Von Donnop Inlet or even from Desolation Sound.